Joe Sakic and the 15 Best Golfers Among Current and Former NHL Players

Joe Sakic did something that very few people on the planet can say that they've done, and this time he did it nowhere near an ice rink.

During the American Century Celebrity Gold Championship, Joe Sakic aced the par-three 17th hole in what he says was his first-ever hole-in-one.

Thinking about it, it seems pretty natural that hockey players would make pretty good golfers. The swing requires a similar transfer of weight and aiming a small projectile at a specific target.

This momentous achievement by Sakic got us at Bleacher Report thinking: Who are the best golfers in the NHL? 

After a bit of research, there are several NHL players, both past and present, that excel not just with a stick in their hand, but also a golf club.

Here are the top 15 NHL golfers from the past and present.

Honorable Mention: Mike Eruzione

Eruzione may have never played hockey at the NHL level in his life, but he is still responsible for one of the most iconic and memorable moments in the history of the game which is good enough for me.

Eruzione may have accomplished the pinnacle of his hockey career at a young age, but he remains active, as many sports personalities do, by golfing.

His hockey career was short, but his life in golf has been very impressive as he has managed to maintain a 5.6 handicap on the golf course.

He ranked 65th on Golf Digest's 150 best athlete golfers that was published in 2009.

15. Alexander Ovechkin

Perhaps Alex Ovechkin shouldn't really count on this list, but based off of what he managed to accomplish on his very first time golfing, I thought he was worth including.

Ovechkin managed to get a hole-in-one on his very first time golfing.

Imagine what he could do if he actually practiced!

Achieving this once-in-a-lifetime type of feat his first time out would make many people angry, but how can you be angry at the guy's reaction?  "I swear Gaaa!"  Too funny.

Nonetheless, Ovi should stick with his day job.

14. Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby may be one of the best hockey players in the world, but he's not exactly the greatest golfer in the league.

Though he probably does enjoy the competitive nature of the game, Crosby is definitely a much more average Joe on the golf course, with a 15 handicap.

That's still good enough to put him at 125th in the top 150 athlete golfers in Golf Digest.

I bet he prefers to be known as the best hockey player in the world right now.

13. Wayne Gretzky

It isn't very often that you're going to find a hockey listing that includes Wayne Gretzky where he doesn't inhabit the top spot.

Golfing is definitely one of those, though. Gretzky was "The Great One" on the ice, but seems far more human on the links.

I suppose when you're that amazing at one thing, you need to be a bit more average at something else.

I suppose average isn't even really the best word to describe his golf game, as he has a very respectable 10.6 handicap.

Of course, when you host your own charity tournament every year, and happen to be the best player in the history of hockey, nobody cares what your handicap is.

12. Cam Neely

Cam Neely had a short hockey career due to injury, but he did manage to experience the Stanley Cup moment when his Bruins won this past season.

Another thing that I'm sure Neely is happy about is that his knee injury hasn't prevented him from keeping on the golf course.

Neely can use the Cup to carry around his 3.7 handicap, though he won't really need it because that handicap is pretty small.

Neely also hosts an annual invitational golf tournament to benefit people who are fighting cancer.

11. Mike Cammalleri

The highly skilled short guy from the Montreal Canadiens shows that his hands have good uses away from the ice as well.

Cammalleri has a 3.6 handicap on the links, meaning that he probably shoots in the 70s on a regular basis.

He also has taken to Twitter from time to time to talk about golf.

10. Brenden Morrow

Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow is known for his tenacity on the ice rink. That same tenacity is probably why he makes a good golfer.

Morrow comes close to being a scratch golfer, but isn't quite there with his 3.5 handicap.

He'll have to work if he wants to catch former Stars Mike Modano and Brett Hull on the golf course.

Still, I dream of having a 3.5 handicap.

9. Joe Sakic

Joe Sakic has always had a reputation of being one of the best players in the NHL that is also one of the classiest guys on the planet.

This hole-in-one he just notched helps show that. He doesn't just celebrate by himself or with his foursome; he goes running up and down the fan gallery to include them in what is probably one of the coolest things he's ever done, and he's won two Stanley Cups.

Sakic has a 2.3 handicap, which is darn good, but is still a bit below several of the people left on this list.

I know I'd love to play with Joe Sakic one of these days.

8. Mike Modano

Mike Modano is one of the best American-born hockey players to play the game of hockey.

He isn't a slouch on the golf course either. His 1.3 handicap makes him more or less a scratch golfer.

Things are looking like Modano will most likely call it a career, so perhaps the extra time will help him get his handicap down a little bit more.

7. Mario Lemieux

Super Mario is part of one of the greatest debates in the game of hockey. Whether or not he or Wayne Gretzky is the best to ever play the game.

One place where there is absolutely no debate as to who plays better is the golf course. 

Gretzky, who we talked about earlier on this list, sports a 10.6 handicap. Super Mario is pretty much a scratch golfer with a 1.1 handicap.

Lemieux's larger and more muscular stature probably gives him a bit more distance off of the tee, but you know those amazing hands of his are a big help in the short game, which makes good golfers great.

Plus, who can forget this gem of a commercial featuring Mario on the golf course.

6. Jamie Langenbrunner

In case you hadn't guessed by now, hockey players seem to make pretty darn good golfers, and Jamie Langenbrunner is no exception.

One of the newest members of the St. Louis Blues spends a great amount of time playing golf during the offseason, and has a stellar .8 handicap to show for it.

He even keeps a portion of his own website dedicated to updates on his own golf game.

According to an article written on his site about his golf game, Langenbrunner can claim that he has done something that very few other professional athletes can claim to have accomplished, and that is defeat Michael Jordan in an athletic competition.

5. John-Michael Liles

Former Avalanche defender John-Michael Liles is next on our list.

In the previously mentioned Golf Digest article, Liles' handicap is listed at .8, which makes him a scratch golfer.

Liles tells a great story to Kyle Keefe on Denver's Altitude Network about golfing with John Elway, who is widely regarded as one of the best athlete golfers today.

He might have a bit harder time trying to golf in Toronto during the regular season, but where there is a will, there is a way.

4. Marc Savard

Marc Savard has had some unfortunate injuries over the past couple of years, which is a shame because of what a fantastic player he is.

He might be an even better golfer, however.

Savard is another scratch golfer who carries a 0.6 handicap with him.

In an interview he gave with ESPN a few years back, he said that his best round ever is an astonishingly good 65.

For those of you who aren't familiar with golf, the general even score on most golf courses is 72, meaning that it's okay for all of us to hate Savard now, because only professionals should be able to shoot that well on a golf course.

I kid, I kid.

3. Jeremy Roenick

Jeremy Roenick is a member of the US Hockey Hall of Fame, and will definitely be a part of the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame.

Known for a playing style that was just as brash as his off-ice personality, Roenick was a sight to see on the ice, and is the same on a golf course.

Roenick plays on a celebrity golf circuit, and his scratch handicap of zero makes him a serious contender.

I'm pretty sure that JR is still waiting for his first circuit win, but it seems that that should be just around the corner with a game like his.

2. Brett Hull

Another Hall of Fame hockey player that manages to tear it up on the golf course as well, Brett Hull is a scratch golfer that carries a handicap of zero.

Known for his scoring touch on the ice, it seems those magical hands have treated him quite well on the links as well.

Hull doesn't just play well for fun or for charities, but he also played on the celebrity tour and managed to win a couple of events.

He was also featured in Golf Digest's "My Game" series a couple of years back.

All very impressive for a guy who picked up the game when he was in college.

1. Grant Fuhr

Grant Fuhr was a part of the powerhouse Oilers dynasty of the 1980s, and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Fuhr was not only one of the best hockey players to ever strap on the goalie pads, but he is possibly one of the best hockey players to pick up a golf club.

Fuhr has been a scratch golfer for several years, and has decided to give professional golf a try as well.

You can check out his PGA profile right here.

Several NHL golfers have managed to keep a scratch handicap, but Fuhr is the only one to play golf professionally.

More Honorable Mentions

Other hockey players who didn't make this list, but easily could have, include the following:

Daniel Alfredsson: four handicap.

Alex Kovalev: four handicap.

Bobby Orr: 5.8 handicap.

Brad Richards: nine handicap.

Questions, Comments and Discussion Points

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and is a member of Bleacher Report's 2011 NHL Draft Team.  For more NHL news and discussion,

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